MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!

Ok! This is it! I am not emailing next week, as I will be coming home
and busy doing that.

I DID IT. I DID MY MISSION.

To end this, I got to help a nine year old kid named Owen be baptized.
It was awesome, he is such a good kid. He was baptized Saturday
morning.

Let's see, what happened this week... we'll we were able to see a lot
of less actives! My favorite less actives here are Blaire and
Bernadette. They are these two woman, Bernadette is the mom and Blaire
is her daughter. They are feeding us dinner next week to commemorate
me going home.

We had zone meeting this week, and it was sad to know this was my last
one. I absolutely love Chico and I love the Chico zone. I am so happy.
This is the happiest I have ever been. Missions are amazing.

I got to volunteer again at the homeless shelter here in Chico. I
cleaned their fridge and me and sister Andersen both decided to sit in
it. We were just "chillin". Haha get it.

This week was awesome  guys. Next week will be even better.

HEY TO ALTA SIERRA AND LAKE OF THE PINES PEOPLE, I will be in that
area around three on Thursday! My cell number is 530-321-7338! Please
call or text if you wanna see me! That would be awesome.

ALSO, GUESS WHAT LINCOLN PEOPLE, I will be in Lincoln Friday! Please
call or text me if you wanna see me! Thank you guys, I love all of
you!

I have changed astronomically. I am so much more who I am supposed to
be. I have loved every second of my mission, and I have loved all the
people I've met. They are amazing, and I really hope I get to see some
of you before I go back home to North Carolina.

I get to see my mom next week.

The church is true. The gospel changes lives. It's changed me for the
better. I am so much of a better person because of my mission. I have
no regrets. I'm ready to take on the world with all the stuff I've
learned.

I love you all. See you VERY soon.

Signing off for the last time,
Sister Caroline Ginn

You Only Get Two More of These!

You all only get to hear from me as a missionary two more times.

What.

It hasn't quite hit me yet, so I'm just taking each day one day at a
time. "Life by the yard is hard, but by an inch, it's a cinch."
-President Monson.

What the heck happened this week? Oh yeah we found a 9 year old who is
getting baptized this Saturday. He's super cute, and we've gotten him
ready for baptism in two weeks. Talk about cramming. We're super
excited, his name is Owen and he likes Pokémon and Star Wars. So
obviously we are best friends. I gave him a square of ghiradeli
chocolate and he considers me his hero. We were teaching about Joseph
Smith and the restoration and we asked him who Joseph smith was and if
he had ever heard of him. I told him "it rhymes with Moseph Mith."
Without any hesitation, he yells "NEPHI" as confidently as he could. I
had to step out of the room for a few minutes, I was laughing so hard.

Speaking of hero, we teach this one woman named Vivian. She's in her
40s, but she has some mental problems. We came over to her house and
she spent 15 minutes telling us how much she he loves Michael Jackson
and how she wants to watch his videos on her phone but she doesn't
know how, and if we could please solve this problem for her. I took
her phone and connected her to the wifi that she didn't even know she
had but had been paying for, and gave it back to her with Michael
Jackson pulled up on her phone. She started screaming and tearing up
because she was so happy, and she called me her savior.

We went on exchanges this week and I went with Sister Bodily! She is
this adorable blonde from Latin, Utah. I adore her. We had so much
fun. She ended up accidentally hugging a 30 year old man, and she
hasn't hugged a man the whole six months she's been out. It was
awesome.

Everyone we teach is so weird.

I also ate sushi this week, it was so dang good.

Andersen and I are killing it, so far we've had like 16 lessons this
week, and that is our average. It's awesome. I'm working my tail off
over here. We were both kind of depressed this week because one of our
elder friends in the mission went home early, elder Broderick. But you
know, the friendships you make on a mission will last a lifetime and
beyond. We will see him again. He only lives in Utah anyway.

My time is drawing to a close but I am happy. This is the happiest I
have ever been in my life.

I love you all. I'll see most of you very soon.

Love
Sister Ginn

This Is the Year of the Rooster

My mission President informed me that this year is the year of the
rooster. Thank you President Marston.

Happy 2017! Hope you all started off the new year with a blast. Sister
Andersen and I bought our own quarts of ice cream from baskin Robbins
and ate them all and drank white grape sparkling cider stuff for New
Year's Eve and went to bed at 10. It was wonderful.

This week was pretty slow, actually, being the hangover from
Christmas. All the Christmas lights are going down and it makes me a
tinsy bit sad, but I'll see them again next year.

We taught a lot of lessons to sad people this week. It was draining.
People tell us everything that is wrong with their lives for two hours
and then expect us to fix it. But fun fact: I am not a counselor. I'm
20 years old and I can't even remember what I had for breakfast. Yes I
am totally qualified to fix your marriage that has been going downhill
for 10 years. Please tell me more about how you blame Heavenly Father
for allowing bad things to happen in your life.

It's a hard life but someone has to do it.

I love being a missionary. I love it so much. I'm going to miss this nametag.

We taught a lesson to one of my FAVORITE less actives named
Bernadette. She is this cute 50 year old woman who is trying to turn
her life over to Christ. She told me that I am one of her favorite
sister missionaries she's ever had and I about died from happiness.
Gosh I love Chico so much.

I've been kind of struggling this week, and so I decided to ask the
zone leaders for a priesthood blessing. It was the best blessing I
think I have ever received in my life. I'm the blessing, god told me
that he has accepted my mission and all that I have done the last 17
months. I started crying. It was beautiful, and it made me feel less
stressed out about certain things going on in my life. The priesthood
is amazing, and I love knowing that we have it in this gospel.

That's about it for this week. I'm excited for this upcoming week
because I hit my 18 month mark! Woohoo!

I love you all, and happy new year!

Love,
Sister Ginn

For Christmas I Got a 2017 Chevy Malibu

So we got a new car this week. We traveled the two hours down to the
mission office, then thirty minutes out of the mission to a car place,
and we drove off in one of the nicest cars I've ever been in my whole
entire 20 years of existing. I get to drive around in that for the
last five weeks of my mission. Um, absolutely. A whole bunch of other
missionaries came with us to the car place in Sacramento, so it was
this huge adventure. Merry Christmas to me. We drove by the airport
and everyone asked me "How far is that plane, Sister Ginn?" "Its five
weeks away y'all haha I see my mom before all of you" <3 br="" night="" tuesday=""> we went caroling with our ward to a senior home, and that was a blast.
All the residents sang with us and we had cookies afterwards. There's
this cute old lady named barbara sills who is my favorite person
there. She sang the loudest. Christmas is amazing.

Wednesday was district meeting, and that was fun too. We talked about
how we can apply christlike attributes to our lives and how we can
just be better people. Right after district meeting, we had our half
mission Christmas Devotional. I got to see president Marston, and we
sang a ton of Christmas songs with all the missionaries. It was the
last time I was going to see some of those missionaries, and it made
me really sad. President Marston made the statement "Some of you will
never be missionaries again at Christmas time in your lives." Ow. My
heart. That's not a sad thought at all. There was about an hour where
missionaries could stand and bear their testimonies, and I bore mine.
I was actually the last person to do so, and I felt the spirit so
strongly. I love Christmas time, and I love that this season is all
about our savior. I want to take the feelings I have from Christmas
time and take them everywhere else I go for the rest of the year,
until next Christmas.

Thursday was a good day, we spent the day contacting and had a great
lesson with one of our progressing investigators named Robbie! He's
one of my favorites that we teach. He wants to be baptized, he just
needs to make the conscious decision to change some of his habits. We
went into the lesson with a plan, but then of course the spirit said
"lol no do this instead" so we did and it was great and I was so
happy.

Friday we did service at this place called The Jesus Center. We helped
a butt ton of homeless people eat food. We prepared the food, made
plates, guided them to their seats, and gave them presents. It was
kind of life changing to see it. I saw so many people licking their
plates clean because they were so hungry. I am so grateful for what I
have, oh wow.  Chico is full of homeless people, and I recognized some
people from the homeless shelter we volunteer at.

I also saw a homeless guy propping his leg up against the table while
watching netflix with his iPhone 7. I love the American government
system and how it works.
Not.

Friday night we went caroling as a zone, and what do you know, people
were actually receptive to us! We did it for about an hour, and we
could've gone all night. People were so happy to see us and hear us
sing, this one lady wanted to hug all of us because we made her night.
It was so sweet. I decided that if I fail at life, I will quit
everything to become a full time caroler.

Saturday and Sunday were wonderful! I got to talk to my family in
Christmas and it was awesome. I officially have four weeks left in the
mission, so four weeks until I see my family. I love them so much.
Christmas was awesome, we spent it at a members house and they made us
a turkey dinner. I had a turkey dinner Christmas Eve too. I'm in a
coma for this entire week, just saying.

I love everyone so much. Thank you for always being there for me. You
guys are the best. Thanks for everything and for all the support.
Merry Christmas and a happy new year!

Love,
Sister Ginn

Feliz Navidad

We were knocking a couple of doors the other day and we ran into this
family that seemed so nice and actually interested in who we were.
Only they spoke Spanish and no English. Somehow sister Andersen and I
managed to convey that we had a video about Jesus Christ that we
wanted to share with them, and they said yes and watched it! The kids
gathered around our iPads and the mom watched. They all liked it. I
literally know zero Spanish so all I could say was Feliz Navidad and
smile. The spirit was still there. It was awesome. We immediately
referred them to our Spanish speaking sisters.

Hence my subject line.

We got to do a white elephant gift exchange this week with another
ward relief society, they invited all the missionaries and it was
great. I got a bunch of jam preserves and sister Andersen got a can of
French vanilla hot chocolate, so we were both pretty happy.

I am working my tail off over here and really loving it. This week was
transfer week, and it was weird, sad, but good all at the same time.
It's weird to think that this is my final run.

I GET TO TALK TO MY FAMILY IN A WEEK.

Happy birthday Hannah! Tear it up my dude, you're 16 now. Go date cute boys.

What else happened.... oh we had a cool experience in a park! It was
Tuesday morning and we had nothing to do. I was driving down the road
and I saw a park with some swings. Being the spontaneous human that I
am, I immediately pulled over cause I wanted to swing on the swings.
We were swinging away when this older gentleman came walking towards
us. We engaged him on conversation and turns out he's the happiest
person to talk to. We explained that we were missionaries and we were
Mormon and he seemed to think that was the coolest thing ever. He
wasn't really interested in us coming by to have a lesson, but it was
nice to talk to him and explain who we are and what we do. Planting
seeds in parks. Heck yes.

I got to see some of my really good friends this week, like elder
mace. we went to Buffalo Wild Wings together and it was so fun. I've
been to Buffalo Wild Wings 14 times since I've been in Chico. It's
wonderful. I eat the chicken bones and gross everyone out.

Sorry that my emails are getting shorter and shorter every week. I am
losing the motivation to write lots of stuff.

I love all of you. Also, Alta Sierra/LOP people. The plan for the 19th
of January thus far is that my companion and I will be leaving Chico
at 1 and plan on being there around 3. As it gets closer we can
coordinate, I wanna see you guys before I go!

Talk to you all next week!

Love,
Sister Ginn

1. Most of the zone
2. Bye elder Clarke

3. At the park
4. SWINGS
5. I got to see elder mace this week. He's my bff
6. Bdubs with the fam
7.  We set up our relief society presidents tree <3 br=""> 8. White elephant!
9. We're so cute

I Am So in the Christmas Spirit This Year!

I am so in the Christmas spirit this year, I am yelling at people
across the street to tell them Merry Christmas and I'm singing
Christmas songs every five minutes. It's driving sister Andersen nuts
but I don't care, ITS CHRISTMAS. I get to talk to my family in two
weeks.

This week was kind of a slow week, but it was a fun week. So transfers
came last night, and I am staying in Chico with Sister Andersen my
last six weeks of my mission. 43 days left, y'all. I am very happy, I
love my companion, I love my zone, and I love the area.

I love being able to be a missionary right now. I really do. These
last 17 months have been the best thing that's ever happened to me.

Birthday shout out to my mom, happy birthday mommy <3 br="">
We had our Christmas party this week, and sister Andersen and I
performed in it. She sang, I played the piano. Everyone loved it. We
had so many nonmembers and less actives there, it was a Christmas
miracle. I played basketball afterwards with some kids in my dress.
I'm a winner.

We taught a lesson to an investigator who was high this week. That was
fun. We spent Thursday being in homes that either smelled of weed or
dead things. Chico is glorious.

Zone meeting was also this week, and elder Ford is going home. He's
been a good friend of mine most of my mission, and it's sad to see him
go. But he did his two years, and I know the friendship I made with
him will last a life time. I have so many good friends here, it's
amazing.

We had our church choir sing on Sunday, and it went really well. Our
choir director is really intense and if you miss a practice she might
kill you. It's great.

Heads up to those people in Alta Sierra and Lake of the Pines, I will
be in that area on the 19th of January to say bye to some people. Let
me know if you want me to drop by.

I really don't have much to say except merry Christmas! I love you
all. Talk to you next week.