Jessica first email from Missouri

I made it! I have been assigned to work in the Albany, MO branch. The town
reminds me a lot of delta, but smaller. My companion here is named Sister
Grange. She has been out for 7 months now and was serving in the
Independence area at the visitors center before coming to Albany with me.
Albany is a newly opened area. It has been super hard starting in a new
area because we are literally starting from scratch. The branch out here is
wonderful though. We thought we would have a really hard time getting
people to sign up for meals but this week we have 6 dinner appointments, so
hopefully I'll be well fed.
You heard from Sister Angle a couple of days ago i think. Anyways she is
here on a service like mission with one of her friends Sister Montierth.
They are both from the Mesa, Gilbert Arizona Area so the cold has been kind
of funny to watch them in. Sister montierth is probably one of the oldest
missionaries in the field (her words not mine) she's 75 this year. Can you
even imagine? They have been absolutely wonderful to work with though.
Because so many new missionaries are coming out they can't keep up with
vehicles so the senior sisters are our wheels until we can get one. We are
hoping to get a truck out here though because many of the streets aren't
paved and are super muddy. There are families that we can't even go and see
until the roads dry up because we will get stuck. :)
Sister Grange and I are living in a members home out here. It is absolutely
wonderful! It's a 3 bedroom, walkout basement apt. (and it has 2 showers
and a washer and dryer!) yay for no laundry mat! There are 2 big Arcadia
doors in the front that look over this huge field that when the sun is
setting is just beautiful. Also we have one in our bedroom as well that we
can look out of. Best little apartment ever, and the couple that owns the
house is wonderful as well. They are a little older (maybe 60's?) the wife
calls us her girls and has been a wonderful landlord :)
When we got her the senior sisters had already done a lot of work we always
tell them that they laid the groundwork for us to come out here. (it's been
2 years since proselyting missionaries have been in the area) When we got
here they took us to meet a young (19 yr old) girl. She has just been
married to a less active member, and is the definition of a golden contact.
we met her for the first time on Friday and talked with her briefly Then we
told her that we would set up a time with her on Sunday at church to meet
with her. She asked then if we could meet Saturday instead! On Saturday we
met with her and taught her the first lesson and I got to invite her to be
baptised (something you do on the first lesson, crazy right!?) She
accepted!! Then i challenged her to be ready by March 30th, So my first
baptism should be in about a month. (I don't know if she'll be ready by
then because she has a smoking problem and her husband isn't super
supportive) But I know that she will be baptised. She has already prayed
about many things that we don't usually challenge investigators to do until
later. I'm super optimistic about her and can't wait to meet with her again
tomorrow.
The youth out here need a lot of help. They only have 3 young men worthy/
ordained to pass the sacrament, and after meeting with the branch president
he really wants us to focus on the YM and get them to serve their missions.
So we are planning a youth mission activity and are planning on going to
their weekly activities to hopefully spark some interest.
Not much else to write about now i guess but I'll be writing more
handwritten letters today sometime after grocery shopping :)
I love you all so very much and miss you dearly. Can't wait to here from
you!
-Sister Randall